Memories of the sea - is Jon White's first exhibition with Terrace Gallery Cornwall.

This body of work was created during the lockdown period of March-May 2020.

Being unable to access his public studio, Jon embraced the limitation of his garden shed, that he had converted into a temporary studio space.

In the first few weeks of lockdown, Jon found himself lacking the desire to paint. There was little motivation amidst the news of mass grief and loss. However, one day during a daily walk from his home he found himself surrounded by the gorse bush that grows so wildly across Cornwall.

This bright yellow flower lit a spark of inspiration, causing him to remember how the gorse also grows so vibrantly along the coastline he could not access. Jon recalled being with friends and family at local beaches, seeing his children splash in the waves and run freely across the sand. He was also reminded of the majestic nature of the sea and its invocation of awe, wonder and questions of eternity. It was this moment that inspired this body of work titled “Memories of The Sea.”

Like the fiery gorse flower growing amongst the thorn, Jon has found during the lockdown and the Covid-19 pandemic that beauty can be cultivated in the midst of hardship, grief, loss and injustice. Indeed, it needs to be.

He hopes this collection tells something of that story and points towards the wide horizon of restoration and hope that artists now more than ever have a responsibility and voice in shaping.

Jon works from Studio 102 Krowji, Redruth.

You can easily flick through the body of Jon's amazing work in our interactive catalogue of his exhibition

Jon's website
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Seasons change